Just in the decade of war in Afghanistan and Iraq, the United States saw around 50,000 of its military personnel injured in the conflict. It's these 50,000 men and women and more who have gone to war for the sake of the country that the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial is dedicated to.
It took more than 15 years but the memorial is finally finished, the first specifically dedicated to honoring disabled veterans. President Barack Obama was at the memorial's dedication Sunday, speaking to pay tribute to the men and women who fought for the country.
"In the United States of America, those who have fought for our freedom should never be shunned and should never be forgotten. When our wounded veterans set out on that long road of recovery, we need to move heaven and earth to make sure they get every single benefit, every single bit of care that they have earned, that they deserve," said the president.
Obama adds that he sees the memorial as the picture of the determination and perseverance the men and women of the military put forth during the war and the after, noting that "unseen wounds of war" are as real as other and can hurt just as bad, if not more.
After thanking friends, family, and support networks continuously aiding disabled veterans, the president turned to the veterans themselves and told them that if they were ever hurting, they must not be ashamed to ask for help.
Philanthropist Lois Pope organized the memorial, with Jesse Brown, former secretary for Veterans Affairs, and Art Wilson, former national adjutant and CEO of the organization Disabled American Veterans. Starting work on building the memorial in the latter part of the ‘90s, the group had managed to raise over $80 million for construction.
Sitting behind the U.S. Botanic Garden close to the Rayburn House Office Building, the memorial features a monument with a fountain in the shape of a star and a ceremonial flame nestled in a tree grove. Eighteen quotes are also etched in the granite-and-glass monument, penned by veterans and their families.
To all Americans who encounter veterans, President Obama has a message: do not look away.
"You go up and you reach out, and you shake their hand, and you look them in the eye and you say those words every veteran should hear all the time: 'Welcome home, thank you. We need you more than ever. You help us stay strong, you help us stay free," he said.
